The next week’s SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa on May 4-5 will give final touches to the agenda for the Summit that is expected to focus on counter-terror, Afghan stability, inclusive connectivity initiatives including Chabahar Port & INSTC besides India’s wide-ranging outreach to Eurasia, ET has learnt. Earlier SCO NSAs met here to discuss key elements of the security partnership.
While Putin is expected to attend the Summit, there is no concrete indication yet if the Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Summit in person. India-China ties remain lukewarm over China’s intransigence to restore May 2020 status quo along the Line of Actual Control. Xi may address the Summit virtually in case he does not attend the Summit physically.
The Pakistan PM has also not indicated if he would attend the Summit in person or virtually. The Pakistani defence minister did not visit India for SCO Defence Ministers meet and there are reports that Pakistan Foreign Minister may address the Goa meet virtually.
The Iranian President is expected to attend the Summit as Iran will be admitted as the new member of SCO from this edition of the Summit. Presidents of Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan – other members of SCO are also expected to attend the summit. SCO observers and dialogue partners are also expected to send senior leaders and officials to the Summit.
Highlight of the Summit will be the bilateral meeting between Putin and PM Narendra Modi as India and Russia continue to expand their trade ties amid New Delhi’s neutral position on the Ukraine conflict. Putin last travelled to India in December 2021 for the annual summit. The two leaders spoke several times over phone last year and held a meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Samarkand last September.
For all the latest world News Click Here
